Demountable wire display rack



Dec. 16, 1958 Filed Sept. 8, 1955 F. D. HOOSE DEMOUNTABLE WIRE DISPLAY RACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 56 56 63 63 lll Q n 9 o mi.'

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,23 FQA/vc'ls .DA/w64 H0055 IEL -1 24 1E y ATTDRNEY Dec. 16, 1958 Filed Sept. 8, 1955 37Ep 8O F. D. HOOSE DEMOUNTABLE WIR:` DISPLAY RACK 5 Sheets-Sheefl 2 o |l' ,[ll o` ao av/ 65 73 32 37 36 33 so I o I f lll" d l 20 2e 73 38 25 l 29 /4 8O l e f INVENTUR l /7 FeA/vc/s DAW/z Haase 43 /2 /a /5 Ey vt3 dil" O l IU 35 73 v/f' 3,2 se 36 as so 55 54 45 62 e 56 63 o I1||[| La l 64 35 \73 /f 32 se ATTDRNEY Dec. 16, 1958 F. D. HoosE 4DEMOUNTABLE WIRE DISPLAY RACK 3 Sheenzs-Sh'etV 3 Filed Sept. 8, 1955 E Y on w o m ww H .n u n A wm M um. A www. mh HE m mm N N Q WIM QW .H.". lm m, MW@W Vf uw. l l I uw E /Sv BW Nw uw wm w g NEEN WWII h. 1 lha BW R.. I Nw mv\\ mw BW HW |H a. h "In N W m9 Il A- M l l g wh hm W` lll RW mw, wh v u. R. s S R. vh hal.' L

'United States Patent DEMOUNTABLE WIRE DISPLAY RACK Francis Daniel Hoose, Elwood, Ind., assignor to Monticello Manufacturing Corporation, Elwood, Ind.

Application September 8, 1955, Serial No. 533,119

6 Claims. (Cl. 211-133) This invention relates to a display rack made primarily of wire wherein there are a plurality of individual trays mounted one above the other upon a supporting frame.

Each tray is an individual unit which is carried across two brackets extending from the frame and each tray is removably secured to that frame.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a structure of the nature indicated wherein the entirestructure may be shipped in a compact package in a demounted form so as to occupy a minimum amount of space when in shipment or in storage. Furthermore, the invention provides means for setting up the structure very easily and'in such manner that each individual tray may be removably secured in position for display purposes when carrying the goods to be displayed.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide a structure which will be suiciently rigid particularly in respect to the individual trays so that these trays may be loaded with the goods to be displayed apart from the frame, and then the tray carried to the frame, set thereon, and secured in position against displacement.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide a structure which will require the minimum amount of floor area for support purposes, so that there are no extending diagonal braces and the like to occupy space above which there is no usable display or storage area.

Not only does this invention provide these enumerated advantages, but it also possesses eye appeal aiding in the ldisplay of the goods by its own individual attractiveness. These and many other objects and advantages of the invention including the particular unique assembly and ,interrelationship of the individual elements as set forth .in the appended claims will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as 'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a view in front elevation of a structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation and partial section;

Fig. 2-A is a detail in section on an enlarged scale of a corner of a tray;

Fig. 3 is a view in top plan;

Fig. 4 is a detail in vertical elevation on the line 4--4 in Fig. 3; and l Fig. 5 is a detail in vertical elevation in section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

A back frame member generally designated by the numeral has an inverted U-shape wherein there is an upper transverse bar 11, from which extends downwardly and integrally the frame legs 12 and 13.

A U-shaped member 14 is disposed horizontally to have its legs 15 and 16 approach the lower end portions of the frame legs 12 and 13 from their front sides and to carry therethrough and anchored in position by means of the nuts 17 and 18, Fig. 2, screw-threadedly carried on the legs and engaging the frame legs 12 and 13 there- Patented Dec. 16, 1958 ICC between. In like manner a second U-shaped member 19 is horizontally disposed in spaced relation above the member 14 and secured to the frame legs 12 and 13 in the same manner such as by the nuts 20 and 21, Fig. 2.

The outer corner portions of these members 14 and 19 are interconnected by suitable legs, herein shown as consisting each of a U-member generally designated by the numeral 22 having the lower bend 23 disposed atthe elevation of lower end 24 of the legs 12 and 13, and from which bend 23 there extends upwardly the spaced apart legs 25 and 29. The legs 29 for example extend upwardly across, and are welded to the outer or relatively front sides of the members 14 and 19 whereas the legs 25 extend upwardly on the insides of the legs 15 and 26 of and also are welded to the members 14 and 19 respectively. These legs 22 thus serve as forward supporting means retaining the member 10 in its vertically disposed position and the members 14 and 19 in their horizontally disposed positions.

The assembly of the members 14, 19, and 22 may be removed from the member 10 by removing the nuts 17 and 20. Preferably the member 10, is further braced by having the diagonal braces 27 and 28 extending respectively from lower ends of the frame legs 12 4and 13 and upwardly to cross one another and have upper end portions secured against the back sides of the frame legs 12 and 13, Figs. l and 2. The structure so far described constitutes the framework for supporting a number of trays thereon.

To support the trays which will presently be described, a number of brackets generally designated by the numeral 30 are detachably lixed to each of the frame legs 12 and 13, the brackets on the two legs being at common elevations therealong.

Each of these brackets 30 consists of a horizontally disposed length of rod or wire 31 which is carried through a forward bend 32 and thence around and diagonally downwardly into a brace length 33, from which length 33 there extends an end portion 34 through one of the frame legs of the member 10. Likewise there is an end portion 35 of the horizontal length 31 which extends also through the common frame leg of the member 10. Each of these ends 34 and 35 is screw-threaded to carry an abutting nut 36 in each instance and to carry a second nut 37 on the back side of the particular` frame leg of the member 10 whereby the bracket 30 is securely held in position and yet may be easily removed from the member 10.

In the present showing, six of these brackets 30 are employed, three engaging the frame leg 12 and three engaging the frame leg 13 of the member 10, the brackets thus being arranged in horizontally disposed pairs. The frame legs 12 and 13 are suitably drilled so that the brackets 30 will be presented in a fore and aft direction, the brackets 30 held by the leg 12 being parallel to the brackets 30 held by the leg 13. These brackets 30 in each instance extend from the respective frame legs 12 and 13 a distance substantially equal to the extension of the members 14 and 19 from the legs 12 and 13. As means for further securing greater rigidity of the supporting framework, there are preferably provided a pair of braces 38 and 39 welded to and extending from rear portions of the member 19 adjacent the frame legs 12 and 13 respectively and downwardly and forwardly to have ends welded to the members 22, Figs. 1 and 2.

At the time the brackets 30 are mounted on the frame member 10, truss bars or rods 40 and 41 are mounted along the back side respectively of the frame legs 12 and 13. As herein shown, particularly in Fig. 2, the truss rod 40 is secured by having an upper end portion 42 engage between the nut 37 on the bracket 30 and the back side ofthe frame leg. 12, and from that position extends downwardly across the nuts 37 of the brackets 30 below and finally having a lower end portion 43 interengaged on the back end of the leg `of the member`14 between the nut 17 and the frame leg 12, the lower end of the brace 27 intervening between the truss rod lower end portion 43 and the frame leg 12. The othertrss' 'rod 41 is secured to the frame leg 13 in'exactl'y they sarne'hia'nner.

The framework when thus assembled isltheniready to receive the trays as above indicated, `eachofthfese trays being generally designated by thenumer'al 451 There are four of such trays 45 employed in the 'present'slidwing one tray 45 foreach pair "of brackets 30, andalower tray restingupon the upper member 19 of the base structure. Each of these trays 45 is identical in construction and one interchangeable with the other.

The tray 45 in each instance has a foundation base member in the nature of a wire which is rectangularly shaped, this wire being designated generally by the numeral 46, having `a"front longitudinal length 47, side lengths 48 and 49, and aback length 50, this back length 50 being herein shown as having a gap 51 which may or is placed across a pair of the brackets 30, the tray will extenda distance laterally beyond the brackets and also may not be left depending upon individual preference in the manufacturing of the trays.

Across the front and back wires 47 and 50, are secured a plurality of relatively closely spaced apart wires 52. Normally these wires would `be welded to the members 47 and 50. Each of these wires 52 has an upturned forward end 53 and a rear upturned end 54, yboth ends 53 and 54 being turned substantially at right angles to the length of the wires 52. The rear upturned ends 54 are preferably made to be longer than the forward upturned ends 53. These ends 54 are xed to a longitudinally extending wire 55, Figs. 3 and'4, whereby the upper ends of these portions 54 are secured lat uniformly spaced apart positions. The wire 55 has a downturned portion 56 outside of the endmost transverse wires 52. Also there may lbe a tie wire 57xed to these rear upturned end j portions 54 `intermediate the elevations of the member 50 and the member 55, Fig. 4. Asindicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the longitudinal tie wire 57 is mounted on the back sideof the upturned lengths 54.

The forward upturned ends 53 are interconnected across their upper ends by means of a longitudinally disposed wire 58, this wire 58 preferably having downturned ends 59 outside of the endmost wire 52. The wire 58 is mounted on the inner or back sides of the upturned forward ends 53 of the wires 52, Figs. Z-A and 3.

The transverse wires 52, between their upturned ends 53 and 54, are further tied one to the other by means of carries a downwardly extending locating member 73 toward o-ne end and 74 toward the other end. While these lmembers 73 and 74 may assume different shapes, these members in the present showing constitute simple straight bars having'their rear ends xed to the member 50 and their front ends to the member 47, the locating members 73 and 74 being spaced apart that distance which will permit the members to sit slidingly downwardly over the Isides of the brackets 30.

- The lowermostV tray V45 will likewise have the bars 73 and 74 positioned slidingly along the sides of the member 119,Fig. 1. f

The trays 45 in each instance also need to be held against fore' and aft movement along the brackets 30. To retain the trays on the brackets 30 in 'respect to this fore and aft direction of travel, each tray is provided with a pair of latching members 7S and 76 which, in the present 4showing, consist essentially of wire lengths having loops length 79, Fig. 5, and thislength 79 merges into Somewhat less thana semi-circular jaw 80 of that conguration A' which will t snugly around the legs of the member 1G.

the longitudinal tie wires 60 and 61, Fig. 3. These wires 60 and 61 are spaced intermediate the members 47 and 50 `of the member 46.

A finished molding generally designated by the numeral 62 extends around the front side, the ends, and terminates by ends extending along the backside of the trays to the legs 12 and 13. This molding 62 is of a finished type and may be madeto have opposing downturned and upturned edges 63 and 64, Fig. 2-A, between which edges i there maybe received a price ticket'or other information as may be desired, this data not herein -being shown.

Between adjacent upturned ends 53, there are xed plates 65 such as by welding thereto.y The molding 62 abuts the front sides of these plates 65, and is secured to the plates in any suitable manner, such as V'by`rivets 66. On the ends of the tray, there are provided extending brackets 67 having fixed portions 68 welded to the adjacent wires 52 and extending ytherefrom across the wire 48 on the one side and the wire 49 on the other side to terminate in upwardly extending legs 69 against which the molding end portions may abut and be secured, likewise such as by rivets 66. On the backside of the tray, plates 70 and 71 are fixed to the upturned wire `lengths 54 againstwhich the molding 62 may abut and lbe secured again in the same manner such as by rivets 66, Figs. 3 and 4. y

Each of the trays '45 is of sufficient areatha't' when it As'indicated in Fig. 3, these latch members 75 and 76 extend from the wire 61 over the wire 50 between upturned ends 54 of the Wires 52 to have their jaws 80 located therebehind and in such proportions that when the tray 45 is positioned on the brackets 30 as indicated in Fig. 3, the jaw may be snapped around the back side of 'the frame legs 12 and 13, with a rounded terminal end 81 engaging around the legs in each instance a sui'licient distance to retain the jaw in elasticengagement therewith. Due to the elasticity of the jaws 80, the tray 45 in each instance will thus be compressibly held back toward the t frame 10, herein shownas abutting the locating nuts 36,

Vwhereby the trays 45 will be held securely against forward travel by these latches and 76 while the retainer members 73 and 74 prevent travel across the brackets 30. The trays 45 may be readily removed simply by springing the jaws around from engagement with the frame legs 12 and 13 whereupon the trays may be lifted and removed from the support of the frame 10.

Normally, when the trays are on the brackets 30, the latch members will have theends of the loop 77 in compressive contact with the wire 61 and the length 79 will be under the molding 62, so that the jaws 80 may be sprung around the legs 12 and 13 as the latches 75 and 76 arc thereby pulled under tension against the wire 6l. The purpose of the loop 77 is to permit the latches to be shifted inwardly of the trays after the jaws are disengaged from the legs 12 and 13 and the trays are pulled forwardly therefrom, so that the latches may then be confined entirely within the tray Aarea in each instance without projecting therefrom, and thus permit a smaller packing area when the entire structure is to be demounted. Of course, the latches will be rocked upwardly as they are carried inwardly of Vthe trays by reason of the length 79 f (bent from the shank 78) riding up over the wire 50.

The downward inclination of the length 79 permits thc jaws to enter under the nuts 36 which are located below the molding 62.

As may have been observed in the foregoing description, the trays 45 are located entirely above the base of the frame 10, including the forwardly extending members 14 and 19 all without any braces extending beyond the area of the trays to any substantial extent other than the positioning of the member I0 and the truss rods 4G and 41 on their rear sides. Since the trays 45 are to be loaded with the goods to be displayed, all of the weight carried thereby will tend to bend the frame Il? forwardly, and this bending is resisted by not only the stiffness and strength of the frame 1t), and its forwardly positioned members 14 and 19 supported by the legs 22, but also materially by reason of the existence of the truss members 40 and 41. As will have been noted, these members 40 and 41 are bowed outwardly from the frame legs 12 and I3 in each instance by reason of the presence of the nuts 37 and also the lower nuts 20 setting up a true truss action.

It is therefore to be seen that I have provided a unique and useful structure in the form described, and While this structure has been described in minute detail, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a display rack, rear vertically disposed supporting legs; a plurality of vertically spaced apart brackets atta-ched to each of said legs; a tray freely resting across said brackets at common elevations thereof; means retaining the tray against shifting laterally of the brackets; and means carried by the trays releasably engaging said legs and retaining said trays against movement along the brackets; said last means including a tray rear wire extending across said brackets; a tray tie wire spaced forwardly of said wire; a pair of spaced apart elastic wire members each having an elongated loop engaging around said tie wire; a shank extending from said loop loosely over the top side of said rear wire and thence diagonally downwardly; and a jaw on said shank detachably hooking around and engaging said legs.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which there are a pair of wires upturned from said rear wire and between which upturned wires said wire shanks extend confining said Shanks to travel longitudinally of the rear Wire a distance equal to the spacing apart of said upturned wires.

3. In a display rack, a frame having spaced apart, vertically disposed legs; a plurality of brackets attached to and extending by upper members horizontally from said legs at different elevations therealcng; an abutment on the back side of said legs at the level of each of said bracket members; a tray resting across said members at a common elevation; said tray having spaced apart wires comprising a rear frame wire and a forwardly spaced tie wire and extending across said bracket members; a latch member carried by the tray at each of said legs, each latch member comprising an elastic wire looped by one end around said tie wire and extending in free contact with and o-ver said frame wire and thence diagonally downwardly and terminating in a curving jaw elastically engaging around the back of the respective said leg below said abutment.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which there is a stop member depending from said tray on opposite sides of said brackets retaining the tray against lateral travel in respect to said legs.

5. The structure of claim 3 in which there is a truss member extending longitudinally of the back side of each of said legs, an abutment extending from the leg at each bracket position, said truss member bearing against said abutment in spaced relation from said leg, and between which member and said leg said jaw enters under one of said abutments.

6. In a display rack, a pair of spaced apart vertically disposed frame legs, a plurality of brackets carried by and extending forwardly from said legs in pairs at com# mon elevations therealong; and a tray resting horizontally across a pair of said brackets; said tray having a floor defined by spaced apart wires extending substantially parallel to said brackets, a foundation wire looped into approximately a rectangle across the opposing sides of which said floor wires extend and are fixed thereto; said oor wires turning normally upwardly at their respective front and rear ends beyond said rectangular wire; cross wires engaging and xing apart the upper ends of the floor wire upturned portions; a pair of latches each shiftably carried by said tray floor and extending rearwardly between said upturned floor wires and freely over the rear side of said foundation wire; one latch each releasably engaging one of said frame legs and retaining the tray against shifting forwardly away from the legs.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

